Houseplants

What better way than houseplants to bring nature's beauty into your own home? Even in the dead of winter, houseplants add interest and color to your home or apartment. They can complement the furniture and interior design of your home, and they offer a wider variety of choices than outdoor gardens usually provide -- from plants native to tropical rain forests to deserts.

Most houseplants are selected because of the beauty of their foliage. With proper care, these plants will grow permanently and increase in size from year to year. Flowering houseplants also are popular although their blooming season is limited. All houseplants require care and attention, but anyone can grow them -- usually with less work than an outdoor garden requires. Along with their aesthetics appeal, houseplants give off moisture, which in turn reduces the dryness of a centrally heated environment. By adding oxygen to their surroundings, houseplants enrich the air we breathe.

Buying Houseplants

Choosing plants that will respond to the light and warmth of specific areas in your home is essential. Some plants need an unheated room in winter, for example, while others grow easily in full sun. Determine in advance the light and warmth that a particular plant needs, then make your selections based on the right shape and size for a given room, how the plant will look in that room and the price of the plant.

Houseplant Growing Tips

Most houseplants are killed by over watering than any other reason. Remember: DON'T OVER WATER. Plants need water the most when they are in a growing mode. They need less water in winter. Always check the plant label to determine watering needs. Use room-temperature water with an open soil mixture that drains well to prevent excessive moisture. For most foliage plants, allow the top half-inch of compost to dry out between each watering. For flowering plants, the compost should be kept moist -- but not wet -- at all times.

While maintaining houseplants, always keep the overall picture in mind as several factors depend on each other. The time of the year is always important. Nearly all houseplants require a resting period during the winter in which they receive less water, feeding and heat. The kind of pot and potting medium affect how much water a plant needs, and the amount of light affects how much fertilizer is needed. Light feeds a houseplant through photosynthesis, but nutrients are required for leaf, stem and root production. A plant needs to be fed at the time it is growing. Plants grown mainly for their foliage need a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Flowering houseplants, on the other hand, need less nitrogen but more phosphorus.

The atmosphere of a centrally heated room is extremely dry during winter. To increase the humidity, fine spray the plants every day or so but be careful not to over-wet them. After a year or two, most houseplants will be too large for their containers and will need to be repotted. If you don't know how to repot already, you'll need to learn how. Also, you'll need to equip yourself with the right tools for maintaining houseplants while keeping your home clean. Basic items needed include a watering can with a long, narrow spout and a mister for spraying plants, reducing dust and controlling pests. You might also consider appropriate compost, fertilizer, a collection of pots, drip trays to keep water off furniture, a safe pesticide and a sponge. Consider buying a reference book to address other specific questions you might have.